There are many marketers of products, particularly catalog companies, that receive requests from customers to return merchandise. The United Parcel Service (UPS) has approved a particular label for that purpose, called an Authorized Return Service label (ARS). Such a label is used for postage paid return of merchandise. In conventional techniques practiced by most catalog companies, and others dealing with return merchandise, a conventional UPS/ARS label (comprising a label that is about 4.5.times.5.75 inches having pressure sensitive adhesive on one face thereof and UPS Groundtrac information, including tracking numbers, on the other face thereof, and the adhesive attached to a conventional release liner) is inserted into a No. 10 envelope with a letter from the catalog company or the like, and mailed to the customer. When a customer receives the envelope, he or she opens it up, reads the letter, removes the merchandise return label (ARS label) from the release liner backing, and places them on a package containing the merchandise to be returned. This is a labor intensive process which costs more, and takes more time, than is desired.
According to the present invention, the cost and time associated with sending out ARS labels are both greatly reduced by incorporating the ARS label as part of any an eccentric Z-fold mailer, formed of a single sheet of paper (typically an 8 1/2.times.14 inch sheet). The invention allows 2 the outgoing address and the letter from the catalog company to be simplex printed at the same time, allows the ARS label to be affixed to the same face of the mailer on which simplex printing is provided, and allows the mailer to be readily sealed (so that the label is within a completely sealed compartment) by machine and mailed out. Utilizing the intermediate in the mailer according to the present invention, the savings of more than a dollar and twenty-five cents per document can be achieved compared to the prior art process described above, with an increased customer satisfaction and less turn around time for sending out an ARS label from the time that it is requested.
According to one aspect of the present invention an eccentric Z-fold mailer intermediate is provided comprising the following components: A quadrate sheet of paper having first and second faces, top and bottom substantially parallel edges, and substantially parallel side edges substantially perpendicular to the top and bottom edges. First and second fold lines substantially parallel to the top and bottom edges, and dividing the sheet of paper into first, second, and third panels, the first panel between the top edge and the first fold line, and the third panel between the bottom edge and the second fold line, and the second panel between the first and second panels, the second and third panels of substantially the same size and shape, and the first panel having a smaller length, along the side edges, than the second and third panels. A blow on shipping (e.g. mailing) label assembly disposed on the first face of the third panel. A first series of patterns of adhesive disposed on the first face of the second and third panels for holding the first face of the second and third panels together when the sheet is folded about the second fold line. And a second series of patterns of adhesive disposed on the second face of the first and second panels for holding the second face of the first and second panels together when the sheet is folded about the first fold line.
The blow on label assembly preferably comprises a release liner permanently adhesively attached (over substantially the entire surface thereof) to the sheet, and a merchandise return label including UPS Groundtrac information (that is an ARS label) on a first face thereof, and pressure sensitive adhesive on a second face thereof releasably attached to the release liner. Outgoing address indicia is imaged on the first face of the first panel, and other indicia (typically a "letter" from the mailer, such as a catalog company) imaged on the first face of the second panel, the other indicia and the outgoing address indicia having the same orientation, formed by simplex printing of the first face of the intermediate.
The intermediate preferably further comprises first and second lines of weakness parallel to and adjacent the side edges to define separable edge strips of the sheet, portions of the first and second series of the patterns of adhesive disposed in the separable margin strips. The first and second patterns of adhesive preferably comprise pressure activated cohesive. The intermediate also preferably comprises third and fourth lines of weakness parallel to and adjacent the bottom edge and the first fold line in the second panel, portions of the first pattern of adhesive disposed on the first face between the bottom edge and the third line of weakness, and between the first fold line and the third fold line.
Also, return address indicia is imaged on the second face of the second panel adjacent the second fold line and has the same orientation as the outgoing address indicia wherein the first panel is folded about the first fold line. The quadrate sheet preferably has side edges having a length of about 14 inches, and the sheet top and bottom edges have a length of about 8.5 inches, and the first panel side edges have a length of about three inches. The merchandise return label (as is conventional) typically has dimensions of about 4.25 by 5.75 inches. The merchandise return label also is spaced at least about 0.75 inches from each of the bottom edge and the second fold line.
According to another aspect of the present invention an eccentric Z-fold mailer is provided, comprising the following features: First, second, and third panels each having first and second faces, and disposed in a stack, the second panel sandwiched between the first and third panels so that the second face of the first panel engages the second face of the second panel, and the first face of the second panel engages the first face of the third panel. The second and third panels have substantially the same size and shape, including aligned side edges have a first length. The first panel has a second length significantly less than the first length. Outgoing address indicia is imaged on the first face of the first panel and other indicia is imaged on the first face of at least one of the second and third panels. A blow on label assembly is sandwiched between the second and third panels. And adhesive patterns connect the second and third panel first faces together, and the second faces of the first and second panels together.
The adhesive patterns preferably comprise pressure activated cohesive. The blow on label assembly is preferably as described above, with the release liner pressure sensitive adhesive attached to the third panel first face and the other indicia on the second panel first face. The second and third panels have side edges with a length of about 5.75 inches, and the first panel has side edges with a length of about 2.5 inches. Lines of weakness are provided in the panels adjacent but spaced from the side edges thereof, and pressure activated cohesive is disposed between the lines of weakness and side edges.
It is a primary object of the present invention to provide for the cost effective and quick production and mailing of mailers with merchandise return labels. This and other objects of the invention will become clear from an inspection of the detailed description of the invention and from the appended claims.